Portable window ventilator



J. A. FERRIS PORTABLE WINDOW VENTILATOR May 6, 1952 Filed Feb. 26, 1948 m .A M

Patented May 6, 1952 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE PORTABLE WIND OW VENTILATOR James A. Ferris, West De Pere, Wis.

Application February 26, 1948, Serial No. 10,971

My invention relates to improvements in window ventilators and similar devices.

My invention relates more particularly to a portable window ventilator capable of being quickly and easily installed or removed in a window frame.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a portable window ventilator so constructed that it can be sprung into position in a window frame, being securely held in the window frame by reflex action alone after it has been sprung into place.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable window ventilator so constructed that the upper edge of the same may be generally in a vertical line with the inner edge of the average window stool, thereby preventing outgoing drafts from entraining the curtains and tending to bring them into contact with the window or the outside screen and soiling the curtains.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a window ventilator of the type de-- scribed so constructed that it will serve to protect the curtains by keeping them away from the window and the screen and assist in aligning the curtains that may be on the window.

A further object of the invention is to provide a window ventilator of the type described wherein the air will be deflected upwardly, but which will exclude rain and snow except during violent 7 weather.

A further object of the invention is to provide a window ventilator of the type described which may be installed as a one-piece unit, forming a close seal with the window sill both at the bottom 'and sides, it being yieldingly frictionally held in position, thereby preventing rattle, movement out of place, or falling out of the Window.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a window ventilator of the type described which may include a screen, the screen being so positioned in the window ventilator that it will be preferably aligned with and positioned directly below the bottom wall of the window frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide a window ventilator of the type described which may be capable of adjustment to various window widths within limits.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following description wherein reference is had to the accompanying drawings,

upon which I Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a Window frame and stool with my improved win- 4 Claims. (Cl. 9899.2)

same taken generally on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a front perspective view of my improved Window ventilator looking generally downwardly toward the same, the adjustment to expand the ventilator for various widths of windows being shown in dotted lines thereon;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan sectional view and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, showing two different modifications of the screen retaining means.

In the embodiment of the invention in which Ihave chosen to illustrate and describe the same, I have shown a window stool Ill having the usual inner sill member I2, the base Hi and the window stops [6 and 18.

The window ventilator which I provide may generally comprise the retaining members 20 and 22 fixedly secured to a yieldable deflector plate 24. The retaining members 20 and 22 in the preferred form may be channel shaped as shown and be secured to the end walls 26 and 28 of the deflector plate, the end walls extending upwardly as at 30 and 32. The upper edges of the deflector plate and end walls may be secured around a common spring rod member 34 so shaped that the general upper edge 36 of the ventilator is generally U-shaped as shown, with generous radii for strength, economy and ease of fabrication; to effect a snag-proof and graceful contour for curtains and drapes to follow, and to permit of repeated flexure without fracture, such as would be inevitable in any sharp or angular shape.

In its preferred form, and as best illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the transverse distance between retaining members 20 and 22 is greater at their tops than at their bottoms, so that they slant downwardly towards each other. Complementing these slants, the flanges of retaining members 20 and 22 taper from wide at bottom to narrow at top, to give the final, assembled and installed result shownthe flange edges of retaining members 20 and 22 in parallel, vertical position, parallel with and, from top to bottom, uniformly overlaid by their respective window stops I6 and I8. In this construction, a minimum of flexure is required for installing or removing, flexure being determined by the top widths of flanges of retaining members 20 and 22; bottom widths of flanges being determined by the depth of the window stops I6 and is, such bottom widths of flanges being preferably a small amount in excess of the window stop depth to obtain the maximum amount of window stop coverage in the centralized, installed position shown.

As can be seen in the drawings, particularly Figs. 1 and 2, the length of the lower edge of the ventilator inclusive of retaining members 20 and 22, is approximately the width of the window sash, minus one window stop width and a small amount of clearance. This is important in view of the fact that the in-between edge of the ventilator is preferably rigid. Thus, by entering either retaining member 20 or 22 fully into its co-operating sash track, and simultaneously flexing the ventilator, compressing from its opposite, upper end, the other retaining member will be afforded clearance so that it may be swung past its adjacent window stop and into registering position with its co-operating sash tracka1l best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Then, releasing to reflex, and pushing the ventilator down squarely to sill I4, the ventilator (due to the equality of reflex at each window stop) will automatically centralize in the window opening, causing both retaining members 29 and 22 to be about equally overlaid by their respective window stops [6 and I8, best shown in Fig. 2. Thus, an effective, weathertight seal is formed: (1), all along the lower edge of the ventilator, where it bears upon window base member Hi, going down past and leaving no part of the window stool Hl exposed to the weather; (2), along the flanges or" the retaining members 29 and 22 as they continuously impinge upon the inner sides of their respective window stops It and IE3; (3),.along those portions of end walls 26 and 28, above the retaining members 20 and 22, and where they reflexedly and continuously impinge upon their respective window stops I6 and IS. The end walls 26 and 28 are notched to permit lowering of the sash F considerably below the upper edge 36 of the ventilator to efiect proper upward deflecting of incoming air currents. The retaining members 20 and 22 are of substantial construction to support the weight of any heavy or unbalanced sash, and bevelled, top and bottom, to fit the bevels of window base member l4 and of the bottom rail of the sash F, and notched at bottom to avoid any Weatherstripping on the window base member M, as best shown in Fig. 3. The outwardly turned flanges of retaining members 29 and 22, bearing closely to their respective window stops, will also thereby avoid any weatherstripping in the window sash track, such Weatherstripping being necessarily near the center of the sash track.

It will be noted that the upper edge of the deflector plate 24 is generally in vertical line with the inner edge of the window stool Ii), thereby effectively assisting in preventing curtains or other hanging drapes from being blown outwardly or inwardly due to sudden violent drafts especially at such times as sash is thrown wide open.

In the event it is desired to position a screen in the ventilator, I have provided a pair of rooved frame members 40 secured to the inner side of the end walls of the deflector plate preferably in a vertical line with the window sash F, the screen S being slid thereinto as shown in dotted lines.

As an alternative form of construction, I provide the angle frame members 52 secured to the inner sides of the end walls of the deflector plate and provide a flexible screen M which may be r securely bolted thereto and permitted to flex as the unit is flexed when being installed or removed; or where it is desired to provide adjustment, I provide slotted holes 56 and cooperating bolts 45. With the latter construction, flexing of the unit or adjusting for width would simply cause the bolts to move along the slot and the screen would not be flexed in installation or removal of the ventilator.

In a representative adjustable embodiment of my invention, I provide deflector plates 24a and 24b overlapping in a portion 52; 48 being the leftmost extremity of deflector plate 24b. I provide slots 50 in deflector plate 24a, registering with punched or threaded holes in deflector plate 25b and fastening members 54. When the ventilator has once been adjusted to the proper width for any window, the fastening members 54 may be permanently tightened, or even peened solidly, and the ventilator used in exactly the same manner-shift and flexas the single deflector plate type described above.

From the above and foregoing description it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have provided a window ventilator which by contrast to those at present on the market can be easily and simply installed and fixedly held in position due to the simple reflex actions of the deflector plate and side walls, and the confinement of the retaining members 20 and 22 in the sash tracks.

While the drawings show a sheet metal construction, other materials as glass, fiber, wood, paper, plastics, etc., in fabricated or molded form and the various combinations thereof may be used with equal facility, all such materials having normally the moderate amount of flexibility required in my usage.

I contemplate that changes and modifications may be made in the exact details shown, and I do not wish to be limited in any particular; rather what I desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A window ventilator comprising a deflector plate formed from a rectangular sheet of material, the ends of said sheet being bent so as to form triangular side walls, said side walls also being inclined inwardly and downwardly of said sheet, notches formed in the upper outer edges of said side walls for receiving the lower edge of a window sash, tapered channel shaped retaining members secured to the vertical outer edges of said side walls, said members being adapted to fit in the window sash tracks and to support the sash, said deflector plate being adapted to rest upon the outside window base member or sill, and to extend upwardly and inwardly, the general upper edge of said ventilator being higher than the tops of said retaining members except in those portions of said side walls which are notched to receive the window sash lower rail, the overall width of said ventilator, inclusive of said retaining members, measured along the general lower edge of the ventilator, being less than the width of the window sash, but greater than the clear width of Window opening as measured between the interior window stops; the width of said ventilator, at the tops of but exclusive of said retaining members being greater, in the ventilator unsprung condition, than the clear width of window opening between the interior window stops.

2. The combination of claim 1 hereof, with screen retaining means secured to the inner sides of the side walls, and a screen adapted to the said screen retaining means.

3. The combination of claim 1 hereof, in which the deflector plate is made up of a plurality of sections for adjustability, and means for temporary or permanent securing of the sections together.

4. A window ventilator comprising a deflector plate of a substantially rectangular sheet of material, triangularly shaped side walls of flexible material integrated with and disposed at the ends of and substantially at right angles to said deflector plate, notches formed in the upper outer edges of said side walls, ventilator retaining members integrated with the vertical outer edges of said side walls, said retaining members being adapted to fit in the window sash tracks and to support the sash, said deflector plate being adapted to rest upon the outside window base member or sill, and to extend upwardly and inwardly, the general upper edge of said ventilator being higher than the tops of said retaining members except in those portions of said side walls which are notched to receive the window sash lower rail, the overall width of said ventilator, inclusive of said retaining members, measured along the general lower edge of the ventilator, being less than the width of the window sash,

but greater than the clear width of window opening as measured between the interior window stops; the width of said ventilator, at the tops of but exclusive of said retaining members being greater, in the ventilator unsprung condition, than the clear width of window opening between the interior window stops.

JAlVIES A. FERRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 926,617 Stevens June 29, 1909 1,060,727 Winn May 6, 1913 1,063,464 Olander June 3, 1913 1,302,729 Thomas May 6, 1919 1,405,057 Meloon Jan. 31, 1922 1,644,400 Rose Oct. 4, 1927 1,901,568 Saltzman Mar. 14, 1933 2,039,346 Reed May 5, 1936 2,075,894 Gebhardt Apr. 6, 1937 2,325,458 Witteman July 27, 1943 2,350,296 Tietze May 30, 1944 2,358,398 Jochums Sept. 19, 1944 

